Web service-enabling digital video/audio-processing apparatus, and web service method and system therefor

• US 7,433,873 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Duk-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US11/212,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/10, 707/104.1, 725/46, 709/218, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A web service-enabling digital video/audio-processing apparatus, and web service method and system therefor are provided. A first communication module receives a web service address from an external device to carry out a certain function; a web service engine checks whether a file contained in the received web service address exists in a function list, and outputs the web service address to a first engine unit if the file exists. The first engine unit parses the web service address and generates a web language corresponding to the function; a function setting unit sets the function based on the web language; and a control unit performs the set function.

Claims

1. A web service-enabling digital video/audio-processing apparatus, comprising:

a first communication module which receives a web service address from an external device to perform a function;

a web service engine which checks whether a file contained in the web service address exists in a function list, and outputs the web service address if the file exists;

a first engine unit which parses the web service address output by the web service engine and generates a web language corresponding to the function;

a function setting unit which sets the function based on the web language; and

a control unit which performs the set function.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web service engine analyzes the web language and determines the function that the function setting unit is to set, and notifies the function setting unit of the function which is determined, and the function setting unit sets the function.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the function is at least one of a program reservation, a program reservation cancellation, a time-on function of power-on at a fixed time, and a time-off function of power-off at a fixed time.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control unit performs the function by using Electronic Program Guide information.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein, if the function determined by the web service engine is to be re-set, the function setting unit re-sets the function, and the control unit performs the function which is re-set.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external device comprises:

a web service requester which generates a view enabling a user to select the function, and generates the web service address corresponding to the function to request a web service;

a display unit which displays the view;

a user input unit which selects the function from the view;

a second engine unit which generates, in a predetermined protocol format, the web service address corresponding to the function, if the web service is requested; and

a second communication module which sends the web service address to the first communication module.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined protocol is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and the first and second engine units are SOAP engines, and the web language generated from the first engine unit is eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a storage unit which stores data, wherein, if the function determined by the web service engine is determined for sending data stored in the storage unit, the function setting unit reads the data stored in the storage unit and outputs the data to the web service engine, and the web service engine generates the XML data containing the data which is output, the first SOAP engine converts the generated XML data into the SOAP format, and the first communication module sends the data in the SOAP format to the external device.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the file is determined not to exist, the web service engine generates and sends an error message to the external device through the communication module.

10. A web service method, comprising:

receiving a web service address from an external device to perform a function;

checking, via a web service engine, whether a file contained in the web service address exists in a function list;

if the file exists, parsing the web service address and generating a web language corresponding to the function;

analyzing the web language to determine the function; and

setting and performing the function.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the function is at least one of a program reservation, a program reservation cancellation, a time-on function of power-on at a fixed time, and a time-off function of power-off at a fixed time.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the function is performed by using Electronic Program Guide information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, before the operation of receiving the web service address, further comprising:

displaying a view for selecting the function;

selecting the function on the generated view to request a web service;

converting into a predetermined protocol format the web service address corresponding to the function; and

sending by the external device the web service address.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the predetermined protocol is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), the converting into the predetermined protocol format is executed by a SOAP engine, and the web language is eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising sending to the external device the data corresponding to the web service address by using the SOAP if the decided certain function is a request for sending stored data.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, if it is determined that the file does not exist, the web service engine generates and sends an error message to the external device.

17. A web service-enabling digital video/audio-processing apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit which stores data for providing a web service;

a registration request unit which generates a registration request message for registering a list of web services in a Universal Discovery Description and Integration (UDDI) server;

a first SOAP engine which converts the registration request message into a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) format, and parses a web service address received from the web service requester;

a first UDDI module which converts the registration request message in the SOAP format into UDDI standards;

a first communication module which sends the registration request message converted into UDDI to the UDDI server, and receives the web service address from the web service requester; and

a first web service engine which reads data from storage unit data corresponding to the web service address, and converts the data into an extensible Markup Language (XML) format, based on a result obtained from parsing the web service address, wherein the first SOAP engine converts the data in the XML format into the SOAP format, and the first communication module sends the data in the SOAP format to the web service requester.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the web service requester comprises:

a search request unit which generates a search request message for requesting the UDDI server to search for the web service;

a second SOAP engine which converts the search request message into the SOAP format;

a second UDDI module which converts the search request message in the SOAP format into the UDDI standards;

a second communication module which sends the registration request message converted into the UDDI standards to the UDDI server, and receives an address of a web service provider from the UDDI server; and

a web service request unit which generates the web service address and requests the web service based on the address of the web service provider,

wherein the second SOAP engine converts the web service address into the SOAP format, and the second communication module sends the web service address in the SOAP format to the web service provider to request the web service.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the UDDI server comprises:

a UDDI interface unit which receives a SOAP-formatted registration request message of UDDI standards and a SOAP-formatted search request message of UDDI standards;

a UDDI registry which registers the web service based on the SOAP-formatted registration request message; and

a UDDI engine which analyzes the registration request message to register the web service in the UDDI registry, analyzes the search request message to check whether the web service is registered, and sends to the web service requester the address of the web service provider providing the web service, if the web service is registered.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the web service requester is one of a personal computer and a digital broadcast processing device.

21. A web service method for receiving a broadcast signal, comprising:

registering, in a Universal Discovery Description and Integration (UDDI) server, a web service to be provided;

receiving from a web service requester a web service address corresponding to the web service registered in the UDDI server;

checking, by a web service engine, whether a file contained in the web service address exists in a function list;

parsing the web service address if the file exists;

reading data corresponding to the web service address and converting the data into an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format based on a parsing result; and

converting the data in the XML format into a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) format and sending the data in the SOAP format to the web service requester.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the registration operation comprises:

generating a registration request message for registering the web service in the UDDI server;

converting the registration request message into the SOAP format;

converting the registration request message in the SOAP format into UDDI standards that the UDDI server can recognize; and

sending the registration request message converted into UDDI standards to the UDDI server.